Abdominal supporter



PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

M. HAZELBAKER.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION I' ILED OUT. 29, 19(13.

N0 MODEL.

i i i S 2 S S 8 n .r. m

UNITED STATES Patented February 9, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORTER- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.751,641, dated February 9, 1904.

Application filed October 29, 1903. Serial No. 179,093. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTHA HAZELBAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kokomo, in the county of Howard and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Abdominal Supporters;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in abdominal supporters, and moreparticularly to those adapted for attachment to a corset, corset-waist,bodice, or the like.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, durable, andcomparatively inexpensive device of this character which willeffectively support the abdomen and also brace the back, affordingperfect comfort to the wearer and permitting the body to have entirefreedom of movement without the liability of displacing or disarrangingthe device.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangements of parts,as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of my improvedabdominal supporter, showing the same in use. Fig. 2 is a rear View ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device removed from thecorset-waist.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 denotes my improved abdominalsupporter, and 2 a corset, corset-waist, bodice, or the like, to whichsaid supporter is removably attached. While the device may be used inconnection with any kind of body-waist 2, it is preferably attached to acorset-waist, such as illustrated, and which consists of a flexible bodyportion laced in the back and closed in the front by hooks and eyes orany other suitable fastening means.

The supporter 1 comprises an abdominal pad 3 of suitable size and shape,which is removably attached to the waist 2 and held in position by ahip-strap at and leg or thigh straps 5. The pad 3 is preferably attachedby providing flaps or flies 6 upon the bottom edges of the front of thewaist and removably securing these flaps or flies upon the outer side ofthe pad by means of resilient head and socket clasps 7, which aresimilar in construction to the ordinary snap-fasteners used on gloves.The flaps or flies may be formed integrally with the body portion of thewaist; but they are preferably made separate and sewed to the waist.They thus prevent the pad from slipping down and at the same time holdthe front of the waist down and in to prevent the upper part of theabdomen from being forced out, and thereby reducing the apparent size ofthe abdomen. The hip-strap & is passed about the hips of the wearer andhas its ends detachably connected to the front side of the pad.- Saidstrap is made adjustable by passing its ends through loops 8 andsecuring to them a pivoted jaw-clasp 9 similar to those used onsuspenders. To each of the loops 8 is secured one member, 10, of asnap-clasp 11, the other member, 12, of which is adjustably attached toastrip of elastic 13, secured to the outer side of the pad. By means ofthe clasps 11 the ends of the hip-strap may be readily attached to ordetached from the pad and the elastic 13 will permit the strap to giveor yield with the movement of the hips. If so desired, the strap 4: maybe made of elastic material and the clasp members 12 secured directly tothe pad. The leg-straps 5 have one of their ends engaged with buckles14:, secured upon the lower edge of the pad, and after passing betweenthe wearers legs have their opposite ends adjustably engaged withbuckles 15, attached to loops 16, sewed or otherwise attached to thelower edge of the back of the waist. The strap 1 is adapted to passthrough said loops and to be thus held from slipping up or down. Bymeans of the buckles 14c and 15 said straps 5 may be readily adjusted tolit the wearer.

The manner of using and the advantages of my invention will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings. It will be seen that the pad will provide aperfect support to the lower part of the abdomen, relieving all strainon the weakened parts, and at the same time will not force out the upperportion of the abdomen, owing to the manner in which the pad and waistare connected. The rear portions of the hip-strap and the leg or thighstraps brace and support the back of the wearer at its weakest point.Owing to the various adjustments, the device may be adapted to personsof various sizes and figures.

Various changes in the form, proportion. and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with a body-waist or the like having flaps or fliesat its front and loops at its back, of an abdominal pad attached to saidflaps or flies, a hip-strap passing through said loops and detachablyconnected to said pad, and adjustable thigh or leg straps connectingsaid pad and said loops, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a body-waist or the like having attaching flapsor flies at its front and guide-loops at its back, of an abdominal paddetachably connected to said flaps or flies, an adjustable hip-strappassing through said loops and yieldably and detachably con nected tosaid pad, and thigh or leg straps having their front ends adjustablyconnected to said pad and their rear ends adjustably connected to saidloops, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

MARTHA HAZELBAKER. itnesses:

JOSEPH O. HnRRoN, DELLA Runs.

